Chapter IX: Lingering ehoes of the gunshot

The sun had barely dipped down the horizon and the moon had just come up, when a shot rang out. 

BANG!!!

It shattered the stillness of the SUV like a wave of curse... The windshield spiderwebbed with cracks.. Tae's breath caught in his throat.. 

"Down, now!!" Ordered Rurik already pulling the glock from his coat without any hesitation, just instinct... 

Tae ducked, his fingers gripping the edge of the driver's seat as another shot rang out, piercing through the air with a BANG, closer this time...

And that's when they knew they were surrounded....

Dust rose from the dirt road like fog, the world outside was now a mess of shadows and flickering headlights.... Somewhere in the trees, engines growled.... 

They were being hunted down...

Tae's mind raced with confusion and shock, this wasn't supposed to happen, it wasn't a part of the plan! Besides, Sergei had gaurenteed a safe passage to the island, had someone betrayed them or was this Sergei's doing entirely? 

Or maybe worse, Rurik had orchestrated this because he found out Tae's identity? 

The car suddenly jerked forward, Rurik was driving now, the driver? He was left far behind now, surrounded in his own pool of blood, definitely dead... Thankfully Rurik had managed to escape the outnumbered attackers, but their safety definitely wasn't gaurenteed now... 

"You okay Alexei?" He asked, his voice deceptively calm as he took a right turn, chest bleeding which was something Tae just noticed as he looked at Rurik when the question was asked

He nodded, his heart hammering in his chest due to the sudden unexpected attack..."Yes..."

"Alexei probably would've had that reaction right?" He mentally asked himself 

 Although he had faced challenges like these before, but not with a mafia whom he didn't knew would kill him or not. But he did knew he would be fine... That was for sure... He didn't knew why, but something in his gut told him so... 

"Good..." A ghost of a smile appeared on his face "Would hate to loose the prettiest Baranov before we even reach the island, is t that correct?"

Tae didn't knew how to respond to that, so he just stayed quiet.

"Seems your father made more enemies than friends..." Rurik spoke up again 

But something in it didn't sit right with Tae...

Why was he not reacting to a literal bullet in his chest? He was almost too calm.... As if this wasn't a surprise for him....

They drove for miles and somewhere between that, Tae could still feel like they were being chased which wasn't good... Rurik's knuckles were white on the wheel blood was seeping from his clothes onto his pale hands, the bright red a stark contrast to his pale, ghostly skin... But he didn't seemed to have noticed it... 

Yet. 

"Tch..." He winced for the first time, his left hand darting to his bloodstained chest

"Is the wound too deep?" Asked Tae, trying to keep the panic from his voice 

"No... Maybe... Probably... Dosen't matter..." A wry smirk appeared on his lips  as he added after a pause- "Although it'll hurt tomorrow... If I make it that is..." 

"Is this guy serious?" Thought Tae to himself confused by Rurik's choice of words and contemplating of he should take them seriously or not... Then again, it was THE Khladnokrovny Sokolov who said that... So it was scarier, but Tae didn't mind... 

Of course, why would he? 

This particular Sokolov did have a habit of saying weird things sometimes or just talking to himself entirely after all...

Finally, after miles of twisted roads and headlights, appeared a small run-down building nestled in the trees with one flickering giant neon sign that read: Motel Belka... 

"Seriously? Belka?" Thought Tae to himself, not quite happy after reading the name... He thought that name was special and not named after a damn unknown motel!

But then again, what was he expecting? 

"We stop here for the time being..." Said Rurik, but his words slurred on the edges... Something very unusual and quite out of character for Rurik... 

Tae looked over to his right, to the closed door of the car..  "Rurik?" He called out. 

Rurik tried to open the door but staggered....

Then, without warning, he collapsed. 

His body hit the cold snow–covered ground with a thud. The gun slipping out from his fingers. 

 "RURIK–!!" Tae called out, without wasting a second, he crouched down beside him, his pulse racing with panick, confusion... And maybe... Just maybe...

Concern...?